Thrasher
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Lyrics

They were hiding behind hay bales
Some people were waiting secretly for something to happen

They were planting in the full moon
They were doing something risky and foolish, while the moon was bright enough to see them

They had given all they had for something new
They had exhausted themselves trying to achieve something worthwhile

But the light of day was on them
They were now in broad daylight, exposed to potential danger

They could see the thrashers coming
They could see trouble coming

And the water shone like diamonds in the dew
Everything looked beautiful and surreal, even though they were facing a difficult situation

And I was just getting up, hit the road before it's light
I woke up early and left at dawn

Trying to catch an hour on the sun
I wanted to make up for lost time and feel productive

When I saw those thrashers rolling by
When I saw my troubles approaching

Looking more than two lanes wide
Seeming too big to handle

I was feelin' like my day had just begun
I realized I had a lot of work to do to tackle my problems

Where the eagle glides, descending
In a serene and beautiful place

There's an ancient river bending
There's a natural, ancient, and unchanging force guiding life

Through the timeless gorge of changes
Through the timeless experience of living and evolving

Where sleeplessness awaits
Where anxiety and worry can impede progress

I searched out my companions
I looked for the people who were once on my side

Who were lost in crystal canyons
Who got sidetracked by indulging in superficial and trivial things

When the aimless blade of science
When the pursuit of knowledge becomes meaningless and misguided

Slashed the pearly gates
Ruined the opportunities to achieve something greater

It was then that I knew I'd had enough
I realized I couldn't continue living like that anymore

Burned my credit card for fuel
Got rid of useless, superficial things that were only holding me back

Headed out to where the pavement turns to sand
Went to a place where life was simpler and more natural

With a one way ticket to the land of truth
Committed to a journey of self-discovery and honesty

And my suitcase in my hand
Prepared to travel light and be free of burdens

How I lost my friends, I still don't understand
I still can't figure out why the people I once knew changed so much or why we grew apart

They had the best selection
They had all the things they could want

They were poisoned with protection
They became restricted and complacent by their material possessions or status

There was nothing that they needed
They failed to see their true needs, lacking in purpose or direction

Nothing left to find
They felt they had attained everything worth having, without looking any further

They were lost in rock formations
They were trapped in their own superficial and escapist fantasies

Or became park bench mutations
They were reduced to mere spectators in their own lives, without making any progress

On the sidewalks and in the stations
In places meant for transience or commuting, full of strangers and disconnectedness

They were waiting, waiting
They were stuck in limbo, not knowing what to do next

So I got bored and left them there
I grew tired of their aimlessness and lack of direction, left them behind

They were just dead weight to me
They were holding me back, so I had to let go

Better down the road without that load
I had to leave the past behind and move forward without regret or hesitation

Brings back the time when I was eight or nine
Reminds me of a time in my life when everything seemed simple and clear

I was watchin' my mama's TV
I was innocent and naïve, letting myself be entertained by something else

It was that great Grand Canyon rescue episode
A memory of a time when heroes and rescues seemed tangible and exciting

Where the vulture glides, descending
In a place surrounded by death and decay

On an asphalt highway bending
In a fast-paced and artificial environment that seems to have no end

Through libraries and museums, galaxies and stars
Through the vast knowledge and wonders of the universe

Down the windy halls of friendship
Through the unpredictable twists and turns of social relationships

To the rose clipped by the bullwhip
To the beauty that is compromised and hurt by cruel forces

The motel of lost companions
A sense of nostalgia and longing for the people and things that are gone

Waits with heated pool and bar
A place where one can drown their sorrows and try to forget

But me I'm not stopping there
I won't be satisfied with sedation and distraction

Got my own row left to hoe
Have my own path and journey to undertake

Just another line in the field of time
Recognizing one's own place in the grand scheme of things

When the thrasher comes, I'll be stuck in the sun
When life gets tough and seems impossible, I'll still persevere and face it head-on

Like the dinosaurs in shrines
Like extinct creatures whose memory is preserved but whose relevance has passed

But I'll know the time has come
I will recognize the pivotal moment that requires action and change

To give what's mine
To contribute, to create, to make something worthwhile out of one's own life